Stay tuned.

Of course it comes down to education, and sales and marketing people properly evangelizing the platform(s). Perception is reality and if people think they can get something just as good (if not better) for less money, they’ll at least try it out.

Source code and free soda? Not the same thing.

IBM has been dipping their foot in FOSS for a while, although they do not completely agree. SUN is just starting to dip its toes in the FOSS waters-we’ll know how serious they are when they open source ZFS, until then is just lip-service. Look at the splash AMD is making opening their code to FOSS.

As stated before, FOSS is a philosophical way of life-freedom of expression and choice without being vilified for it. People are quietly watching and some are vociferous.

Take a ooxml, the sabotaging of OLPC, the shameless lobbying and media buying efforts, they’re many more incidents Roy Schestowitz can point out, with proof. Anytime MS walks into the room you have to open the windows.

But, companies like Red Hat, Novell and Sun are publicly held. They need to generate profits. And a lot of businesses can win along the way. Isn’t it smart for Red Hat, Novell, Sun and other companies to evangelize their open source solutions to VARs so that SMBs have true choice and alternatives from Microsoft?

Not-for-profit FOSS is a noble way of life. But the for-profit folks are also helping the industry in a big way … and it’s time for VARs to understand that through events like Breakaway.

VAR guy: integrity is not a certification it’s a way of life. The objective of FOSS developers is freedom of expression not “market share”.

I knew all about the certification from CompTIA. Trust me (and trust others like Slashdot and Groklaw) who have watched CompTIA for _years_.

VAR Guy, why did you delete/not approve my long comment that details many recent examples where CompTIA does Microsoft’s legwork against national interests?

BTW, I wonder how many of the comments above are from CompTIA employees.

I’ve come to respect Roy Schestowitz’s info re vendors’ associations. Roy knows his stuff. He also knows when he’s dealing with someone that has been drinking the koolaid. And there’s no point in discussing anything further.

I’m negligent re the fact that #4 Andydread included some nice links to add a bit of background re CompTIA’s pro-MS behavior.

And now, I guess CompTIA has just been torpedoed.

MJ, maybe while you were serving on the board, you weren’t really aware of everything that was going on around you. And believe me, my friend, you wouldn’t be the first. And trust me, I sincerely don’t imply that you were negligent. Anyone that gets within reach of MS becomes an expendable resource; IOW, a victim.

Sorry, but the suspicions remain. If people are interested in FOSS, see it where there aren’t a bunch of FUD makers around where you can think in your own terms and assess your own needs.